Brigada Mass Media Corporation
Brigada Mass Media Corporation (BMMC) is a newspaper company and media network in the Philippines. It is the first-ever local Tri-media organization to have emerged from the South Central Mindanao area as a national network with its array of Brigada News FM stations. BMMC is part of Brigada Group of Companies of entrepreneur Elmer Catulpos which also maintains six newspaper editions in the Philippines, one TV station, distribution of herbal food supplements, medicines, cosmetics and engine care products, a drug pharmacy, a garden resort and two private security agencies. Its main Brigada Complex is located at NLSA Road, San Isidro, General Santos City, Philippines while its National Broadcast Center is located at the 5th floor, Jacinta Building II, EDSA, Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City. History Development It all started with the publication of Brigada News Philippines, first named as Brigada Tolendoy News and Tips, an internet café-based, one-color, 6-page and comic-sized tabloid on October 18, 2005 with a circulation in Gen. Santos City. The tabloid had generated approximately 1,000 printed copies of its maiden issue. It was founded by then Bombo Radyo General Santos regular anchor; independent news publisher; and now Brigada News Philippines President and Chief-Executive Officer Elmer Catulpos. Its main office is in General Santos, but the company also has offices in Davao and Cagayan de Oro, with its own edition each. It has a combined daily circulation of 21,000 copies sold, practically covering the entire Mindanao region. In April 2007, 2 years after the birth of Brigada News Philippines, Brigada Healthline Marketing was established as distributor of health products that the company advertised in its daily newspaper and block time radio programs. In October 2009, it expanded its media operations to radio by acquiring 89.5 from Baycomms Broadcasting Corporation and reformatting it to 89.5 Brigada News FM, the first-ever radio station in General Santos with an AM & FM format. After a short period of time from its inception, it already became the Over-All #2 radio station, both AM and FM stations combined in General Santos City and neighboring areas, according to the then latest AC Nielsen Survey. Subsequently, in early 2013, it obtained the Over-all #3 spot, according to the KBP-RRC Survey. In January 2012, it expanded its operations once more to television with Brigada News TV 46, Eye of Mindanao, acquired from Asian Multimedia and Productions, which is the first-ever local television station which devotes 70-80% of its programs to local issues and concerns. Given its still very short stint in the television industry, it has already eaten up a big slice of the pie of viewership especially its news and public affairs programs in the prime time slots in the morning and afternoon. Since December 2015, Brigada News TV moved to UHF channel 34. Since February 2013, Brigada News FM expanded to 25 cities and municipalities in the Philippines through its subsequent acquisition and 100% takeover of Baycomms Broadcasting Corporation, its owned and operated stations and other smaller radio networks. In April 2014, Brigada News FM National Offices in Makati City was inaugurated and relocated Brigada News FM Batangas to become Brigada News FM National and completing the three broadcast centers of the network, Manila, Cebu and Gen. Santos. As of 2017, BMMC now has 40 owned and operated stations in the country, larger than its main all-news competitor Radyo5 News FM but is ahead of another news/talk radio competitor Radyo Bandera. Brigada News Philippines (newspaper) *Brigada News General Santos *Brigada News Davao *Brigada News Cagayan de Oro *Brigada News Zamboanga *Brigada News Cebu *Brigada News National Brigada News FM Overview Brigada News FM stations are collectively known as Brigada News FM Philippines with its current slogan Tama Noh!? (Filipino bastardization of Is that right?). Currently, Brigada News FM has 40 owned and operated FM stations across the country and more are planned to be opened. Since October 18, 2017, Brigada News FM operates five network feeds (Manila, Pampanga, Batangas, Cebu and General Santos City) for its stations to simulcast various programming. National news and select musical shows have been provided from Manila on a regular basis since its opening in 2014, while the Batangas feed was carved out in October 2017 to provide provincial and Southern Luzon-exclusive content. The Pampanga feed was launched in August 2017. Cebu City formerly provided national content of music until mid-2016 when that purpose was relegated to the Visayas area. However, the Visayas feed can still be simulcast nationally when deemed necessary. General Santos City's feed consists of health-oriented shows cleared for all stations during primetime and breaking news from Mindanao when warranted. Between 2013 - 2019, Brigada News FM operated 92.7 FM Lucena, with local news broadcasts operated intermittently to serve Lucena-Gumaca radio market. However, due to poor ratings, the station dropped the Brigada News FM branding and its news operations was merged to nearby 104.7 Brigada News FM National-Mega Manila/Southern Luzon, which is being heard in Lucena City. As of June 8, 2019, 92.7 FM Lucena re-adopted its Bay Radio branding, making it BMMC's only station to do so. Stations Luzon Visayas Mindanao Notes: **Luzon Area flagship station ***Visayas Area flagship station ****Mindanao and National Network flagship station Majority of BMMC's stations are acquired from Baycomms (prior to the merger in 2013 and became Brigada's official broadcast licensee), with a few being self-established, except the following: *DYWF Cebu: Acquired from Vimcontu. *DXKX Davao: Acquired from Primax Broadcasting Network. *DWBY Naga and DWWF Legazpi: Acquired from Century Broadcasting Network. *DWLH Sorsogon and DXCE Koronadal: Acquired from Hypersonic Broadcasting Center. *DYMG Bacolod and DYKZ Dumaguete: Acquired from Armed Forces of the Philippines and Westwind Broadcasting Corporation. *DWCL Pampanga: Acquired from UBC Media/Love Radio Network. *Brigada News FM Zamboanga first utilized 93.1 FM under airtime lease from Audiovisual Communicators Inc. in 2013 before moving to former Baycomms operated 89.9 FM in 2015. Brigada News TV Free TV Cable TV Products Unlike other media entities, Brigada Mass Media does not rely on any third-party advertisements from major companies. Brigada News FM and TV stations acts as a sales and marketing arm of these Healthline products under the Brigada Healthline Corporation. Brigada Healthline products are also aired as an early morning blocktimer on 91.5 Win Radio Manila as of 2017. *Power Cells Herbal Capsule *Drivemax Herbal Dietary Supplement Capsule *Power Cells Enchanced Glutatione *Guard-C 500 mg Capsule (Ascorbic Acid as Calcium Ascorbate) *Power Cells Liniment *NutriCleanse Herbal Capsule *Power Cell Soya Coffee *Fast Relax *CuraMed Herbal Dietary Supplement Capsule *DriveMax Adult Coffee *Zoya Choco *Bossing Premium Detergent *Bridgette Cosmetics *Lala Cosmetics *AeroLube Engine Treatment Oil Brigada Group of Companies * Brigada Mass Media Corporation * Baycomms Broadcasting Corporation * Brigada Publishing Corp. * Brigada Healthline Corporation * Brigada Pharmacy Inc. * Brigada Distribution Inc. * Brigada Unlimited Inc. * Brigada Healthcare Inc. * Brigada Rock Garden Resort Inc. * Global Dynamic Star Security Agency Inc. * Global Dynamic Star Protective Services Inc. * KaBrigada Foundation Inc.